A histopathologic evaluation of mucosa obtained from mastoidectomy cavity by mastoidoscopy.

Despite the routine application of intact canal wall mastoidectomy for chronic suppurative otitis media, the outcome of mucosa within the mastoidectomy cavity is not wellknown. The purpose of this was to evaluate the mastoidectomy cavity and obtain mucosal study specimens from the mastoidectomy cavities in order to reveal any residual pathology. Mastoidoscopy under local anaesthesia was performed to evaluate the mastoidectomy cavity and obtain mucosal specimens from the mastoid antrum. The procedure was carried out in 12 patients. Four (33%) patients had wide cavities, 6 (50%) had their cavities narrowed down to the antrum, and 2 (17%) patients had obliterated cavities. Mucosal specimens examined with transmission electron microscopy revealed findings like swelling of some of the mitochondria, decrease in the number of organelles, intracellular oedema, changes in the nuclei, decrease in cilia and fibrosis. In conclusion, even if there may be some pathology at a microscopic level, this does not necessarily lead to any clinical problem.

Fine structure of the human coccygeal body: a light and electron microscopic study.

There is only limited data on the microscopic structure of the coccygeal body in classical textbooks. Although there are several articles describing the light microscopic structure of the organ, the data presented are rather conflicting especially when comparing glomus tumors and normal coccygeal bodies. We therefore examined the pericoccygeal soft tissues histologically with the aim of obtaining further evidence. At the light microscopic examination, coccygeal bodies were distinguished as sections of several blood vessels encapsulated by a connective tissue capsule. Small arteries within the coccygeal bodies had an unusual endothelial lining, resembling pseudostratified epithelium or neuro-epithelium. We observed increased numbers of glomus cells in a few samples. A highly tortuous course run by the small arteries was observed in the serial sections. At their electron microscopic examination, endothelial cells exhibited the features of columnar epithelial cells, though some appeared to be vacuole rich. The basal surface of the cells showed basal infoldings, but not as extensive as those of absorptive cells. External lamina, subplasmalemmal vesicles, bundles of microfilaments, groups of membrane bound organelles including mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum were observed in glomus cells. In conclusion, it is rather difficult to use the term tumor for the coccygeal bodies when relying solely on the number of cells observed, because some segments of the coccygeal bodies were rich in glomus cells. It is more likely that the coccygeal bodies show variability in different individuals. The characteristics of the endothelium of the small arteries in coccygeal bodies needs to be examined in a wider range of specimens in order to be validated as a unique entity.

Variant origin of the ulnar artery.

Axillary origin of the ulnar artery was observed during an angiographic examination of the upper extremity. The ulnar artery originated from the axillary artery at the level of the anterior and posterior circumflex humeral arteries. No additional anomalies were observed. Accurate knowledge about unusual patterns of the arteries of the upper extremities is important in order to be aware of hidden hazards during diagnostic and therapeutic preparations.

Unrotated left kidney associated with an accessory renal artery.

During routine dissection, a rare anomaly of the kidneys and their vessels was observed in a 55-y-old male cadaver. The anomaly consisted of an unrotated left kidney with partly extrarenal calyces and pelvis. In addition to its normal artery, the left kidney received a branch originating from the inferior end of the aorta.